The foreign ministers of South Korea and Ukraine discussed the return of North Korean soldiers captured in Ukraine.
Choi Hyun, South Korea's Foreign Minister, met with Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine's Foreign Minister, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on June 30.
The meeting addressed the issue of two North Korean soldiers who were captured by Ukrainian forces after being deployed to the battlefield in the Kursk region for Russia.
Following the meeting, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "The two ministers agreed to seek a resolution that respects the free will of the North Korean prisoners involved, in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles."
The South Korean government maintains that the North Korean soldiers, who are considered citizens under the constitution, have expressed a desire to defect, and it has been in discussions with the Ukrainian government to facilitate their acceptance.
The two countries had previously agreed to cooperate on resolving the North Korean prisoner issue in line with international law and humanitarian principles during a meeting of their foreign ministers in March.
Meanwhile, Minister Sybiha visited the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) during his trip and emphasized the need for cooperation between South Korea and Ukraine in facing threats from Russia and North Korea.
On social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Sybiha stated, "Standing in Korea's DMZ makes it very clear that global security is directly connected. The dangerous actions of Pyongyang and Moscow have now physically linked this historic line to our front lines in Ukraine."
He added, "Russia is involving North Korea in its war against Ukraine and empowering the regime in Pyongyang, exporting instability to the Korean Peninsula. In contrast, Ukraine is ready to export security and share its experiences. We propose a mutually beneficial security partnership to our partners in Korea."
Choi Hyun, South Korea's Foreign Minister, met with Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine's Foreign Minister, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on June 30.
The meeting addressed the issue of two North Korean soldiers who were captured by Ukrainian forces after being deployed to the battlefield in the Kursk region for Russia.
Following the meeting, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "The two ministers agreed to seek a resolution that respects the free will of the North Korean prisoners involved, in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles."
The South Korean government maintains that the North Korean soldiers, who are considered citizens under the constitution, have expressed a desire to defect, and it has been in discussions with the Ukrainian government to facilitate their acceptance.
The two countries had previously agreed to cooperate on resolving the North Korean prisoner issue in line with international law and humanitarian principles during a meeting of their foreign ministers in March.
Meanwhile, Minister Sybiha visited the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) during his trip and emphasized the need for cooperation between South Korea and Ukraine in facing threats from Russia and North Korea.
On social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Sybiha stated, "Standing in Korea's DMZ makes it very clear that global security is directly connected. The dangerous actions of Pyongyang and Moscow have now physically linked this historic line to our front lines in Ukraine."
He added, "Russia is involving North Korea in its war against Ukraine and empowering the regime in Pyongyang, exporting instability to the Korean Peninsula. In contrast, Ukraine is ready to export security and share its experiences. We propose a mutually beneficial security partnership to our partners in Korea."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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